Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Hitz isn't the best footballer in the world but he does have goals in him which our central midfield seriously lacks.

He got 2 in 11 for West Ham.
Nothing to write home about.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

To be honest Maz I can't. I also always think any midfielder coming to the Villa with a reputation for scoring will immediately stop scoring as soon as he puts on the claret and blue. At least I know the Hitz has scored a few for us in the past.

I question him being called a goal scoring midfielder. His record does not reflect that. He scores a few memorable ones, true, but the quanity isnt there to be called that.
At Villa he scored 8 goals in a 100 games for instance.
He gets "the odd goal".

Exactly.
The thunderbolts he scores tend to blind people to his obvious faults, below average passing ability and a poor tackler.

[Rick_avfc]

Hitz isn't the best footballer in the world but he does have goals in him which our central midfield seriously lacks.

He got 2 in 11 for West Ham.
Nothing to write home about.

And what did our midfielder maestro's do in comparison?

[Ryu]

Still more prolific for us than Petrov, NRC or Sidwell I would have thought. I've just always had this impression that we seem to kill the goal scoring instincts of midfielders. Even Gardner seemed to score more for the blues than he did for us!

But anyway, he has a great shot and will occasionally score goals from distance. I'd rather see him coming off the bench for us than sidwell, but ideally we would be looking at a better class of player.

[boboonthecorner]

We'll need somebody if there is any truth in this!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3674731/Villas-Downing-wants-Liverpool-move.html

Which there may well not be given the source!

Id get rid as soon as a decent offer comes in for the ungrateful c***, he owes us more than one half decent season. Hopefully something will happen and his career will disappear down the pan.

[Mazrim]

And what did our midfielder maestro's do in comparison?

Well, nobody is calling Petrov and Reo Coker goal scoring midfielders are they? But as an aside, Ciaran Clark scored more goals from midfield than Hitz did in less games last season.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Hitz isn't the best footballer in the world but he does have goals in him which our central midfield seriously lacks.

He got 2 in 11 for West Ham.
Nothing to write home about.

And what did our midfielder maestro's do in comparison?

Ashley got 9, Downing I think 8.
The set up of our formation meant that most goals came from the 3 of Ashley, Downing and Bent.
The central 3 or 2, depending on formation, never had enough opportunity to surge forward in that framework as it was geared up to having what was effectively a front 3, but I can see Makoun weighing in with a few when he's up to speed.

[itbrvilla]

Great goals for us but always was overated in my opinion.

[JJ-AV]

Kyle Walker has signed a new deal so we can cross him off.

Not that there was any chance we were getting him anyway.

[Rick_avfc]

Kyle Walker has signed a new deal so we can cross him off.

Not that there was any chance we were getting him anyway.

Gutted! 
Hopefully we can get him on loan.

[Ryu]

Well Ash is gone and Downing as you say was part of a front 3. Petrov has always liked a shot they just have never been that accurate for us, with one memorable exception. Last season our central midfield sat so deep it was criminal. The players in that position in the formation we used most of last season shouldn't be relied on for goals but you'd expect one or more of them to pop up with a goal more often than they did/have in their villa careers.

[wozwebs]

Walker signed a deal up to 2016 with Spuds

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Given
Cuellar - Dunne - Collins - Luke
Makoun - Hitzlsperger
Downing - Ireland - N'Zogbia
Bent

Marshall - Clark - Warnock - Petrov - Delph - Albrighton - Gabby

On paper looks very strong as a first 18 to me.

Sorry JJ but there's not a single tackle in that midfield. One thing about AM, he does understand the need of a battler or two in midfield.

[UsualSuspect]

Ashley got 9, Downing I think 8.
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AY got 7 league goals Downing 7

Hitz scored 8 in 99 i think

[Rigadon]

Shame about Walker.  His marauding runs down the right were some of the very few highlights from last season. 

Hitz wouldn't significantly improve our current midfield.  Not sure why he'd hold up the progress of the young lads coming through mind, if they're good enough they will get a game.